1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a monitoring-target-apparatus management system, management server, and monitoring-target-apparatus management method for making it possible to detect an apparatus coupled to a network, and to monitor the detected apparatus as the apparatus of a monitoring target.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following technology has been disclosed (refer to, e.g., JP-A-2005-62941): In management software for managing an information processing system constituted by a plurality of host computers and storage apparatuses, constitution information on the storage apparatuses and constitution information on the plurality of host computers which utilize the storage apparatuses are read out in advance, then being stored into an internal memory device of the management software. Moreover, a host-computer group which is utilizing the resource inside a certain specific storage apparatus is detected based on the read-out information. Finally, a report on I/O competition which is focused on only the performance data on the host-computer group is created, then being submitted to the system manager.
In JP-A-2005-62941, the explanation has been given concerning the SAN (: Storage Area Network) system where the plurality of host computers make the shared-use of a storage apparatus. Meanwhile, there is a case where the SAN environment is constructed using an IP (: Internet Protocol) network. Namely, the storage apparatus is coupled onto an IP network such as LAN (: Local Area Network), thereby permitting the plurality of host computers to make the shared-use of the storage apparatus.
In the case of constructing the SAN environment by using an IP network, data communications is performed among the host computers and the storage apparatus using an iSCSI (: Internet Small Computer System Interface), and thus the iSNS (: Internet Storage Name Service) is often utilized. The iSNS allows information on a communications-capable apparatus to be managed in a concentrated manner by using the iSCSI protocol. The iSNS allows implementation of such functions as name solution for iSCSI initiators and target nodes, and access limitation by grouping of the iSCSI initiators and target nodes based on a discovery domain.
Meanwhile, the storage apparatus possesses the LUN (: Logical Unit Number) security function. This function allows the iSCSI initiator name on an access-permitted host computer to be specified on each port basis or each logical volume basis. The information on the iSCSI initiator name on an access-permitted host computer on each port basis or each logical volume basis of the storage apparatus will be referred to as “LUN security information”.
In the above-described environment, the management software acquires the constitution information on the plurality of host computers and storage apparatuses. Concretely, the management software acquires the following information periodically, then storing these pieces of information into its internal database: Information on internal constitutions of components inside each storage apparatus, such as port, controller, cache, volume, and RAID (: Redundant Arrays of Independent Disks) group, and information such as coupling-destination storage port of the logical volume on each host computer.
When the management software defines a host computer and a storage apparatus which become the targets whose constitution information are to be acquired, the manager specifies, on the management software, an address range of an appliance which the manager wishes to be dealt with as the monitoring target. The management software periodically tries to perform an information acquisition operation for the address range specified. Then, if there exists a response to the information acquisition operation, the management software adds the appliance in the address range into the information acquisition targets.
At this time, it is conceivable that there exists an address at which no appliance is present, or there exists an address which is utilized by an IT appliance that does not become the monitoring target by the management software. In this case, the management software carries out the information acquisition request for this address. Then, at a point-in-time at which the request is found to fail or to be on time-out, the management software judges this address as being invalid. Eventually, it turns out that the management software has tried the information acquisition request for the invalid address. Accordingly, there has existed a problem that a tremendous time is necessitated for the detection processing of the monitoring target apparatuses. Also, there has existed a problem that, although an appliance which leaks out of the address range specified by the manager should essentially be dealt with as a monitoring target, the management software finds it impossible to detect this appliance.